Kart Challenge Wales 2002

 

1.      Introduction:

 

Kart Challenge Wales is an annual project open to all schools in Wales and takes place at Pembrey Motor Sports Circuit.  The Project is supported and delivered through Careers Wales West, Peter Hughes, BARC, Pembrey Circuit and ELWa. 

 

The format of the event is that each team is provided with a 24-volt motor and two 12-volt batteries with the assignment being to build an Environmentally friendly kart that will cover the greatest distance in one hour.  The Challenge takes place on the full 1.456 mile Pembrey race circuit as part of one of the seasons major motor racing meetings.  As well as awards for both the school and college who cover the greatest distances there will be prizes in both categories for:

 

There are opportunities for more than one kart to be entered by a school or college

 

 

2.      Aim of the challenge

 

The aim of the project are to raise the awareness of young people about engineering and the personal qualities that engineers need by reinforcing the measures that:

 

  1. Basic Engineering Awareness

a)      Engineering creates wealth

b)      Engineering affects everyone

c)      Engineering is challenging and exciting

d)      There are different branches of engineering

e)      Anyone can become an engineer from Technician to Chartered.

  1. Creates Teamwork
  2. To be made available to schools and colleges across Wales
  3. To influences career options in to a technical or scientific role
  4. To enhance and develop the curriculum around science & technology

 

 

  1. The Event:

 

The project is based over a year.  School and colleges deliver the project through the curriculum as part of a school/college student project.

 

The event will take place during the Irish Motor Festival at Pembrey on Sunday 23rd June between 12:30 – 14:30.  The race takes place during the lunch break of the motor racing schedule.

 

Last years winners were Mynyddbach girls’ school (now Daniel James Community School).  Due to the project several girls have taken options to prepare for careers in Engineering.

 

The British Automobile Racing Club has donated £100 to every school and college taking part in the competition.  Hawker Energy, a company based in Newport has also donated the batteries used in the karts.

 

  1. Evaluation:

 

Students and Teachers where asked for an Evaluation of the project which was made on the day of the event and of the overall project.

 

 

4.1       Feedback from Lecturers/Teachers

Teachers/Lecturers where asked to rate the project on venue, worth, implementation, appropriation and usefulness with additional comments added.

 

 

Question

  1. Was the venue appropriate
  2. Did you find the day worth while attending
  3. Do you intend to implement any ideas to school/college work
  4. Was the format of the day appropriate
  5. Did you find the information provided useful
  6. How would you rate the delivery of the event
  7. How well did it link with the curriculum
  8. Did the project raise further awareness of the subject to students

 

Results

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Lecturer/Teachers Comments:

 

 

 

4.2       Feedback from Students:

Students were asked to rate the event on venue, enjoyment, influences, format and information provided.

 

 

 

From the chart shown, the response to all questions asked were 52% of the responses were rated as “Brilliant”, 32% rated “Good”, 12% OK. 0% rated the project as “Not Good” and 4% didn’t find the question relevant.

 

Additional Student Comments:

 

 

APPENDIX A

Karts and the Curriculum

 

By David Tiddy.

Head of Resistant Material Technology.

Mynyddbach Comprehensive School for Girls.

 

Since being involved with the BARC and the Kart Challenge Wales, I have spoken to several colleagues in schools across South Wales and invariably, when challenged with "Why doesn't your school take part in this project?" I always hear the same type of answer: -

 

"We haven't got the type of student who would be interested... "

 

Nonsense, I work in an all girls school with no previous experience of this type of project to draw upon, but having been involved with this project over the last two years, we have seen a two fold increase in the numbers of students opting for GCSE Resistant Materials. It seems that we had the kids all right, but we weren't selling the subject in the right way.

 

"We haven't got the resources in the school to do this.... "

 

Yes neither had we at first. We had to borrow and beg things like a welding set, a trailer etc, but on the strength of our endeavours we have been able to secure funding from several sources such as our PTA so that now, we do have pumps, battery chargers and socket sets etc.

 

"It all costs too much........."

 

It doesn't have to cost too much. You could just use recycled materials and components. All of our funding has either come from sources such as the PTA, the BARC or one of our industry links. No pupil has had to put in their own money and neither has the department.

 

"We haven't got the expertise in the school to do this...... "

 

If you don't have the expertise, find people who do. My school's catchment area has a great deal of social deprivation, so instead of looking for parental help and support, we turned to local industry. This was very successful in part, but I had made a glaring mistake by ignoring the talents that our parents could bring to this project. This was demonstrated at our last race, when our Kart failed five minutes before the start of the race. Luckily for us, one of the parents who was spectating, quickly identified the problem and helped us to replace the part and take our place on the starting grid.

 

In terms of the help we have received from industry, we have received help with the following:

Parts and materials;

Technical know how;

Equipment that we did not previously have access to;

And of course cash.

We have also been able to draw upon the advice of the BARC.

 

"Our pupils do not have the ability to build such a project........ "

 

Neither did ours at first, but if you show them how to break the project down into small manageable steps, they can succeed. My pupils could not draw a space frame chassis, let alone design one. However, they could build a wooden model of their idea. This was then evaluated against the specification, and the design modified as appropriate. When they had finally developed their ideas, they built a full-scale wooden mock-up again using l"xl" softwood, plywood, and any bits of scrap they had lying around. When they were sure that it was correct, they created their cutting list directly from the mock up.

 

"With all the pressures of teaching, these days we simply don't have the time........"

 

Yes, time is always against us, but I have tried to keep this project inside the allocated curriculum time. Following consultation with the WJEC, each of the students involved with this project was assigned a specific responsibility for one part of the project.

e.g. One pupil to design the drivers seat; another to be responsible for bodywork and aerodynamics, whilst somebody else to design the steering etc.

With up to eight pupils working on the project, a great deal can be achieved in quite a short space of time. We also have run an after school club, once a week. This has allowed us to tap into the monies recently made available for after school activities.

 

Many schools are now introducing alternative curriculum for pupils who have problems accessing the full range of GCSEs as envisaged by The National curriculum: In my opinion this project would be ideal for that kind of student. Other opportunities to integrate this project into your curriculum time would be as a project in a CoEA or GCSE Motor Vehicle Studies Course, GNVQ Engineering course, or an 'N level Design Technology course. I have even heard of a colleague who has under taken parts of this project with small groups of year 9 special needs pupils, thus giving him a hands on method of delivering significant parts of the Technology Key Stage 3 programmes of study such as :-

Systems and control (including electrical and mechanical systems).Structures.

Materials etc.

 

There are indeed lots of excuses for not being involved with such a project, but for us the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Through the media exposure we have received, we have brought Kudos to the Department, Faculty, and to the School. In my school, the high profile departments have always been. Art, Drama, Music, and PE. I saw no reason why technology should not be seen as another standard-bearer for the school.

 

It has created interest in what we do in the workshops, amongst the parents, pupils and staff. When building a racecar you never have to explain why you are building a race car (the answer being, to race it), just how when and where.

 

This project has also helped us to underline what technology is all about, i.e. designing and making, research, solving problems, combining a wide variety of parts and materials, and testing those ideas. This is as opposed to the older out of date concept of woodwork and metalwork.

 

The number of students opting for the subject has doubled and our GCSE passes for resistant materials have also increased since our involvement with this project. This is due to the fact that all the participants have fuller folders, with evidence of realistic and relevant research, specifications, models and their development, interviews with experts, and results of testing etc. In fact, the WJEC GCSE marking scheme could have been created for just this sort of task.

 

The project has allowed us to establish meaningful school/industry links. It has brought new materials, equipment and skills into the department. This has been the most rewarding and fun project that I have been associated with since starting my teaching career. I hope this will convince you that such a project is as attainable in your school as it has been in ours, and I look forward to racing against your school in the future!